I spend a lot of my time writing and reading erotica. I put out about six anthologies a year (sometimes more, sometimes less), which means reading hundreds of submissions to select 20 to 25 per book.

Though I’ve been editing erotica for seven years, I still greatly enjoy the process, because I get to peek into the minds of other writers and see how they approach a given topic. I think erotica is one of the most democratic of genres because everyone has a sexual fantasy (or twenty) lurking somewhere in their mind, and writing about it can help flesh it out and teach you about your own desires.

Right now, I’m in the process of considering stories for my 2011 Cleis Press anthologies Obsessed: Erotic Romance for Women and Women in Lust. Every day, my inbox brings new stories to consider.

The job of an anthology editor is largely a balancing act. It’s not just about picking the best-written stories, but the best-written stories that work well with all the others. For instance, I might include a sex at the office story, or a hot wax story, but I probably wouldn’t include two on stories on either topic because it would make the anthology too repetitive.

I figured that since so many journalists and broadcasters keep interviewing me and asking me for quotes about the recent publishing phenomenon of 50 Shades of Grey, I thought it was time I put in my two pence’ worth right here at my blog.

Now I’m the last person to rain on anyone’s parade, especially another author’s. Those of us who toil in this usually thankless and poverty-stricken profession know all too well how difficult it is to make a living, let alone garner the kind of phenomenal success now being enjoyed by 50 Shades author E. L. James, who, up until this time, wasn’t even a professional author (and there are many who would argue that she still isn’t). However, as a writer and editor who does quite a bit of work in the area known as “erotic literature” or “erotic fiction” or “erotica,” I’m truly in the dark as to what all the fuss is about.

James’s novel (and their many continuations) focus on a BDSM relationship between a “submissive” young woman and a “dominant” man. The book evolved from her fan fiction site for Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling novel Twilight. Though unlike Twilight, 50 Shades of Grey has lots of sex in it.

Explicit sex. And some of it is considered kinky depending on what church you go to.

Err… okay. So what? Is this anything new? Has no one ever written these kinds of novels before? Has no one heard of the similarly themed classic The Story of O? Has no one seen the gazillion erotic novels that have been published over the last few decades detailing precisely the same plotline, replete with salacious details? Has no one noticed the amount of explicit sex to be found on the pages of what are considered to be “mainstream” as well as ”literary” novels, not to mention “women’s fiction”?

Black Women, Sexual Assault and the Art of Resistance by Brooke Elise Axtell

Published May 5, 2012

My lovely friend and award-winning author Brooke Elise Axtell wrote this passionate article for Forbes. It's a must read!

According to an ongoing study conducted by Black Women’s Blueprint, sixty percent of Black girls have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. More than 300 Black women nationwide participated in the research project. A similar study conducted by The Black Women’s Health Imperative seven years ago found the rate of sexual assault was approximately 40%.

The pervasive nature of this trauma could translate into an increased risk for Black women and girls to experience depression, PTSD and addiction, common symptoms experienced by many survivors of rape.

The Department of Justice estimates that for every white woman that reports her rape, at least 5 white women do not report theirs; and yet, for every African-American woman that reports her rape, at least 15 African-American women do not report theirs.

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